Pretty Angel
by SamiJane
Summary: What if someone told you that you can still win in this unfair fight called life? And you can make love last, if you will it to. How you ask? How is simple...Follow Lucas and his daughter on a 25 year journey... BRUCAS, Naley, Jeyton
1. Chapter 1: Prologue Pretty Girl

**Pretty Angel**

by: Samantha Jane

Category: One Tree Hill Fan Fiction

Genre: Drama

**Summary**:

What if someone told you that you can still win in this unfair fight called life? And you can make love last, if you will it to. How you ask? How is simple...Follow Lucas and his daughter on a 25 year journey... BRUCAS, Naley, Jeyton

**Intro:**

They say that life isn't fair; that it never is and never will be. They say that love is the greatest feeling in the world, but that it can never last. Have you ever thought that these people were wrong? That maybe, they were just responding to the pain. Maybe life can be fair. Maybe love can last. And maybe, just maybe, things will work out; however unexpected they might be.

What if someone told you that you can still win in this unfair fight called life? And you can make love last, if you will it to. How you ask? How is simple: **Hold on to faith**. Hold on to faith and before you know it, five, twelve, thirty years will pass by and you will realize that all the laughter, all the heartbreak, all the joy, all the turmoil, has led you to some of the most perfect moments in your life.

**Chapter 1 - Prologue: Pretty Girl**

_A name is more than a label; it's a symbol, a unique symbol that in time will embody who you are, who you want to be, who you can be, who you will be_.

Year: 2037

It was 8:27 in the morning when a middle aged, yet strikingly handsome man sprinted out of the airport with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. The man was in a hurry since his flight from New York to California took thirty minutes longer than expected. Fifteen minutes later, the man expertly parked his rental car next to a 2011 sky blue convertible in front of a hospital.

-----flashback-----

_"You better not be peeking," he warned as he led his anxious wife outside of the house. He felt her hands shaking with anticipation, "Ok, now you can open those beautiful eyes I love so much."_

_Lifting one eyelid at a time, her face transformed from wonder to pure excitement. Sitting a couple feet in front of her, on their new driveway, was a brand new 2011 convertible mustang in her favorite shade of blue. Squealing with delight she embraced her husband and yelled "I love you" and "Thank you" a dozen times._

_"Happy 1st Anniversary, Mrs. Scott," he whispered into her ear before giving her a passionate kiss. "Surprised?" he asked when she pulled away, their hands intertwined._

_"Not as surprised as you're about to be, Mr. Scott," she grinned devilishly. He arched one eyebrow up in confusion while her famous smirk never faltered from her face._

_"Ok, I was going to get you something close to perfect for our lovely anniversary, but then I discovered something even more perfect and more phenomenal than any amount of money in the world can buy. Impossible, I know, but" she rambled, as she brought his hand to her stomach, "I'm pregnant!"_

-----end flashback-----

Grabbing the fresh bouquet of his favorite girl's favorite flowers from the passenger seat, he ran inside and immediately asked a nurse what room to go to. Laughing at his extreme happiness, the nurse pointed Tree Hill's legend basketball player towards the right direction. The nurse shook her head and smiled at the thought of what a wonderful grandfather Lucas Scott was going to be.

Lucas' eyes darted past doorways and families as he walked briskly down the hallway. Even though he was nearing fifty, his athletic habits and good genes allowed him to still have the energy of a teenager. At least until his lower back pains kicked in.

As he passed the gift shop, he stopped in his tracks when he heard his name being yelled from behind the glass doors. Grinning from ear to ear, he turned around to see his best friend of forty years, Haley James Scott.

-----flashback-----

_"Come on Hales, you can do it, just one more," Lucas coached his best friend. He stared at his now reddish-purplish hand and tried to hold back from screaming as she squeezed his hand even harder._

"Nathan where are you?" _he thought to himself. Haley had unexpectedly gone into labor during her Psych 101 class, at around the same time Nathan's plane was flying over Tennessee. Unfortunately for Nathan, he had to wait till the plane landed in California till he could get back to North Carolina._

_"Where the hell is my husband?" Haley screamed as she pushed. It felt like a watermelon was coming out of her and she was going to kill Nathan for going to his damn college basketball game in California. Lucas had tried to reason with her that she was having the baby a month early, but she didn't care. She was in pain and she wanted her husband. As soon as she saw Nathan run in, his uniform soaked with sweat, she heard the sweet sound of a baby crying. She felt her husband's arms embrace her as he kissed her forehead._

_Laughing at Lucas' excitement at the revelation of the baby being a boy, Haley received her new child in her arms. With an exasperated breath she said hello to her first born. "Hello Ryder, I'm your mom and this unpunctual guy here is your dad."_

_"And I'm your Uncle Luke," Lucas said as he touched the baby's hand, "Man you sure like giving your parents a hard time, don't you, kiddo?"_

-----end flashback-----

"Hello Grandpa Lucas," Haley greeted her second favorite basketball player with a hug.

"Hey Hales, is it just me, or does 'Grandpa' sound weird?" Lucas scrunched his nose at the mere thought.

"Not as weird as being called Gramps at 39," Lucas looked past Haley and saw his brother, her husband, approaching with another bouquet of flowers and a chocolate bar. "Congratulations Big Brother," Nathan patted Lucas on the back.

"Thanks Little Brother," Lucas replied. "But I thought you would know by now that my daughter is allergic to chocolate," Lucas pointed to the candy in Nathan's hand.

"These are for your daughter," Haley said as she placed a tiny card in the bouquet of daisies.

"The chocolates are for your son in law," Nathan explained as the three of them continued down the halls, "We figured the new father needs a gift of his own too." Lucas shot Nathan a "Sure, whatever" look and wrapped his arms around Haley and Nathan's shoulders.

Lucas, Nathan, and Haley were surprised at the plethora of people that were already in the room. Chelsea, Nathan and Haley's daughter, was talking excitedly to her cousin about the WNBA. Jenny Jagielski was busy chasing her five year old son, Matt, around the small room. And Kelsey, Nathan and Haley's daughter in law, was trying to get her nine year old son, Nate, to share his PSP3000 with his four year old sister, Kaylie.

"Dad!" a young lady yelled from her hospital bed, causing everyone's hustle and bustle to cease for a few seconds. Nathan and Haley walked immediately to their family members while Lucas walked over to his daughter. Lucas stared at the new mother and couldn't help but think that his little girl had grown up way too fast.

"Hey Pretty Angel," Lucas greeted his daughter with a kiss on the cheek, "For you, daughter." He waved a bouquet of yellow roses in front of her. She thanked her father and was about to take the flowers when she saw a couple of familiar faces waiting to be greeted.

"Hi Uncle Nate, Aunt Haley," she smiled, "Is that chocolate?"

"Don't worry, these are for you," Nathan said, placing the flowers on a table. "The chocolates are for Aidan," he explained as he kissed his niece on the forehead.

"I know the three of you are old, and coming all the way cross country; especially you with your big book tour," the comment directed to Lucas, "but what took you all so long?" Everyone turned to see Ryder Scott coming through the door, with a carrier of sodas for the kids in one hand and a new pitcher of water for his cousin in the other. "And why does Jagielski get chocolate for passing out in the delivery room?"

"That's why he only gets one chocolate bar as opposed to a whole box," Haley laughed as she embraced her son, "Now quit whining and give your mother a hug."

It had only been one year since the younger Scott and Jagielski generation all decided to head out to California to support Aidan Jagielski being traded to the LA Lakers and Ryder Scott signing a record deal. But to Haley, it felt like forever since she had seen her kids and grand-kids.

Fortunately for Nathan, Haley, and Lucas, after several months, the kids were missing Tree Hill too much to stay away. So once the basketball season ended, Aidan's lawyer was able to get Aidan out of his contract and traded to an NC team. Ryder made arrangements to build a recording studio just outside of Tree Hill and all were going to go back home to North Carolina.

That was of course until they found out that even with technology they had now a days, a certain lady couldn't fly while eight months pregnant. It was one week later and everyone was sitting in the same hospital room waiting to see the new addition to the Scott-Jagielski family.

Haley stared at her son and niece as they exchanged laughter about Aidan Jagielski's fainting spell. Hearing their laughter, the older adults in the room felt as if their children were in fact children once again.

"Enough about chocolate and fainting, where's my grandchild?" Lucas exclaimed, rubbing his hands together as if he was getting ready for a basketball game.

"Right here," Lucas looked up to see his son in law, Aidan Jagielski, carrying a tiny baby girl in his arms. He was being followed by his proud parents, each holding bags filled with take out.

"Would you like to hold her, Grandpa Luke?" Aidan asked his father in law.

"Wow," Lucas whispered as he accepted the tiny bundle in his arms. "She's beautiful Christa," he looked up and smiled at his daughter.

"I think she has your eyes, Dad," Christa said, holding onto her husband's hand. Lucas smiled adoringly into familiar blue eyes.

-----flashback-----

_"Say hi to your baby girl," a nurse said as she placed a baby into its mother's arms. Tears of joy flowed from both of the parents' eyes as the baby began to coo and open her eyes._

_"Look Luke," his wife noticed, "I think she has your eyes."_

_Lucas stared into his baby girl's eyes; he felt as if he were looking into his own. Love and joy seemed to overwhelm him as he greeted his daughter for the first time, "Hello, Pretty Angel. Welcome to the world."_

-----end flashback-----

"So how much longer are we going to have to call this little one Baby Girl?" Chelsea asked, "You guys pick a name or what?" Christa looked up at Aidan and he gave her a nod to let her tell everyone what they had chosen as a name.

"Brooke-Lynn. Brooke-Lynn Roe Jagielski. We wanted to name her after Mom and Nana, if that's ok," Christa requested, smiling at her father. Lucas' eyes lit up at the mention of his wife and mother's names.

"Of course it's ok," Lucas smiled back and looked back down at his granddaughter. Haley watched her best friend in what had to be one of the hardest and yet happiest moments of his life. She squeezed Nathan's hand as she thought of how Brooke should be here for this moment.

Haley looked across the room to see Peyton Jagielski crying. As they locked eyes, both felt for a moment that their best friend, Brooke Davis Scott, was in the room with them.

"Hey there, little Miss Brooke-Lynn Roe," Lucas greeted, his pinky held tightly in the little girl's tiny hand, "I am your Grandpa Lucas, and you are my granddaughter, my Pretty Girl."


	2. Chapter 2: Birthday Girl

**A/N:** Hi readers :) Thank you to prettygirl33 and broodyandcheery for the reviews. :) Sorry if you got confused with all the names and family members. Don't worry though, some of them won't appear till later. Everything will be explained as the chapters progress. Unfortunately, you won't get to see the purpose of the prologue till the last chapter, lol.

So, just to make sure nobody is confused...This chapter goes back in time to 2017, Christa's 5th birthday. Christa is Brooke and Lucas' daughter, as you'll see from this chapter. That's all you need to know for now. In the next chapter, more events will happen, so I'll start a timeline thing then, if need be.

** Pretty Angel**

By: SamiJane

Disclaimer: on my profile page

**Chapter 2: Birthday Girl**

_Birthdays are usually celebratory. But what do they commemorate? Does it celebrate the accomplishments of a life fulfilling year? Or does it mark the start of another year closer to death? _

Year: 2017

"Ok birthday girl, make a wish and blow out your candles!" Lucas Scott exclaimed happily to his daughter. Little Christa Lynn Scott closed her bright blue eyes and thought carefully about her wish.

After a few seconds, the little girl blew out her five pink candles and watched as the flames seemed to turn into little swirls of smoke. She laughed at the sound of applause and cheers from her family and friends. Her laughter ceased when she noticed one of the people she loved the most wasn't in the room.

"Daddy," Christa tugged on her father's arm, "Where's Mommy?"

Lucas' eyes wandered around the room and realized that indeed his wife and mother of his child was no longer in the dining room. He kissed Christa's forehead and told her that he would go find her mother. Wondering what could possibly make his wife leave her daughter's birthday celebration, Lucas searched the house as quickly as possible.

Tears slipped from her eyes as she nervously hung up the phone. She knew she shouldn't have answered the phone; but when she heard it ring just after her little girl blew out her candles, she honestly believed it would be Christa's grandparents calling to say "Happy Birthday."

Her finger began to outline the profile of her family in the popsicle stick picture frame that sat on her husband's night stand. A sad smile emerged from her face as she examined the photo of the three of them during Christmas from two years ago. It was at the house Lucas grew up in. Christa was three years old and Lucas and her were about to tell Karen that she was going to be a grandmother for a second time.

She looked towards the other end of the master bedroom at the empty corner, where the crib would have been. Her fingers stroked through her rumpled hair as she felt tears of mascara run down her cheeks. She sighed as she thought about her little baby boy; at least she believed it would have been a boy. But after just two months living in her womb, God had decided to bring her little boy to heaven. And now God had brought on another complication in her life, in her family's life. More tears continued to follow as the young mother began to breakdown, during her daughter's fifth birthday party.

He watched briefly at the doorway as his wife continued to sob on the floor of their bedroom. "Brooke? Hon?" Lucas sat down next to his wife and attempted to lift her chin up so he could look into her deep brown eyes.

At the feel of his touch, the brunette turned her head away, attempting to avoid eye contact. Sighing, Lucas settled for rubbing his wife's back, hoping it was some sort of consolation for her. Growing quiet and forcing her tears to stay away, Brooke buried her face in her bent knees. Her crying had ceased for a bit and Lucas took it as an opportunity to ask what was bothering her.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Lucas asked, fear trembling in his voice as he stroked her long hair. Not being able to hold in her emotions any longer, Brooke broke down again and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck. He felt a flood of tears soak into his shoulder and in reply, Lucas started to cry as well. He didn't need her to explain, he already knew what had happened.

xxxxx Later that Night xxxxx

"The cheerleader turned fashion designer and the basketball player turned newspaper journalist lived a beautiful life. True their life wasn't always perfect, but it was full of laughter, happiness, and most important, love," Lucas finished, closing the handmade storybook. His hand grazed the top of the cover, feeling the textures of the fabrics that seemed so soft under his fingertips.

-----flashback-----

_Year: 2012 _

_"Shouldn't you be resting in a nice comfortable bed?" Lucas asked his very pregnant wife. He sat down on the floor next to her and stared at the scraps of paper, fabrics, sequins, and other random items spread out in front of her._

_"Oh shush over protective daddy-to-be," Brooke said as she held up her colorful project in front of her husband, "It's finally finished." Brooke proudly handed what looked to be a book to Lucas as he read the title. The Story of Broody and Pretty Girl_

_After reading through the book, Lucas realized what his wonderful wife had done. "I wanted to create the perfect bedtime story for our baby," Brooke rested her chin on his shoulder, as she said his exact thoughts aloud. With a smile, Lucas kissed his beloved Pretty Girl._

-----end flashback-----

Christa looked up at her father; he was sitting next to her on her new basketball themed bed. She noticed that he seemed to be deep in thought with one lonely tear running down his cheek. "Mommy always cries, too, when she reads me this story," Christa revealed, trying to cheer her father up. Lucas snapped out of his memories and smiled weakly at his daughter.

"Did Mommy ever tell you why?" Lucas asked her as placed the book on its special spot atop her night stand.

"She said because it makes her happy. And her tears are tears of love. Is that why you are crying too?" Christa asked, wiping the tear from her father's cheek.

Lucas hugged his daughter and smiled sadly at her question. "Yeah, angel," he looked down into her blue eyes that looked so much like his, "And I need you to always remember that, ok?" He lifted her onto his lap and played with her pigtails. "That whether or not we cry ,because we're sad or happy, those tears are filled with love, and in the end, love will make everything ok," Lucas explained to his daughter.

Christa simply nodded and pulled her father's head down towards her level so she could give him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Pretty Angel," Lucas replied, tickling her tummy, "Now, it's time for bed and for dreams." Lucas began to tuck in his daughter as thoughts about her mother continued to race through Christa's head.

"Daddy,"

"Yeah, Angel?" Lucas asked as he knelt next to her bed so that he was eye level with her.

"Thank you for my party," Christa yawned with a wide smile.

"Anything for my prettiest angel," Lucas smiled back, handing her a teddy bear before standing up and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Can you give Mommy a kiss for me? And tell her I'm sorry that she got sick at my party?" Christa voiced; a little more awake than Lucas thought she was. He knelt back down and leaned on the side of her bed.

"Tell you what, I'll do all that and help you make her breakfast in bed tomorrow. How does that sound?" he asked, knowing that Christa was always up for cooking anything. Like her grandmother, Christa loved to work and create things in the kitchen, even if her concoctions ended up being inedible.

"Strawberry pancakes too? That's Mommy's favorite," Excitement grew in Christa's sleepy twinkling eyes.

"Strawberry pancakes too" Lucas laughed.

"Ok!" Lucas laughed at his daughter's enthusiasm and kissed her once more on her forehead. He walked over towards her doorway and turned back to look at her before he switched off the light.

"Goodnight Daddy."

"Goodnight Angel." He whispered as he watched her drift off to sleep. He swore, his daughter was looking more and more like her mother everyday. His Pretty Angel; he would forever be grateful for the precious baby girl Brooke had given him.

As he stood at the doorway, watching his daughter dream, Lucas prayed to God that his and Brooke's beautiful little girl would not be left without a mother. And just down the hallway, feeling a painful numbness in her chest, Brooke was praying the same thing.

**A/N:** A little on the shorter side, but I wanted to start off to show the special bond between Lucas and his daughter and also point out the happiest part of Lucas and Brooke's marriage (their daughter) but also the saddest part (Brooke's miscarriage). Those will be important to Brooke's character later on. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, I would really like to know what all the readers think so far and if you're getting confused in any way. Thanks for reading :)


	3. Chapter 3: School Girl

**A/N:** Hello lovely readers. Thank you so much to: Literati and naley forever, FutureMrs.Murray8192, jeytonbrucasnaley, BrookeandLucas, tinycapricorn12, doks.brucas.happy, and maddiex0xanne for the reviews. I'm glad you all are liking it so far. :)

For those wondering, Brooke did not die in the previous chapter; the "painful numbness in her chest" was a metaphor for the pain in her heart about the news she received on the phone and how it will affect her family.

Ok, so it's now time to get everyone on track. I want to make sure nobody is confused; seeing as the story will really start with this chapter.

Chapter 1/Prologue was just a _glimpse _into the future (year 2037). So, if you got confused about names, don't worry, just remember that eventually Christa (Brooke and Lucas' daughter) and Aidan (Peyton and Jake's daughter) will get married and have a daughter named Brooke-Lynn. And that chapter insinuated that Brooke is for some reason not there when her granddaughter is born.

But right now we are back in the year 2017, as you saw in Chapter 2. So...since that's 10 years from now, our favorite OTH characters are 28 yrs old.

* * *

As for the characters/families...here are the stats you need to know for now: 

Lucas Scott married to Brooke Davis Scott, have 1 daughter - Christa Lynn (5yrs old)

Nathan Scott married to Haley James Scott, have 1 son - Ryder Brian (10yrs old); 1 daughter - Chelsea Karen (6yrs old)

Jake Jagielski married to Peyton Sawyer Jagielski, have 1 daughter - Jenny (12yrs old and adopted by Peyton); 1 son - Aidan (7 yrs old)

Other characters will appear later...

* * *

Also, at the beginning of each chapter I'll put a year, month, and the length of time that passed since the previous chapter. Hope all that helps. And sorry for the long author's note.

* * *

**Pretty Angel**

by: Samantha Jane

Disclaimer: On my profile page 

**Chapter 3: School Girl**

_Through living, a man acquires experience. Through experience a man gains knowledge. But it's what that man decides what to do with that knowledge that determines his future successes, failures, happiness, and heartbreak._

Year: 2017 - September-ish; One Week Later  


It had been a week since Christa turned five and she was still jumping up and down and laughing like there was nothing wrong in the world. Hearing the stomps from upstairs and Brooke and Christa laughing, Lucas smiled and figured it was because it was Christa's first day of First Grade.

Christa hadn't gone to kindergarten since Brooke insisted on one more year with her daughter at home. Luckily for Lucas and Brooke, Christa was intelligent and learned more from Brooke's home schooling than the average four year old did in half a day at kindergarten.

Lucas pondered at the sad thought that a year ago he had almost denied his wife so much time with their daughter. And now, with the news they received last week, it seemed that Brooke may not be given as much time with her daughter as a mother should. Sighing, Lucas went back to making his daughter's lunch and poured a bowl of cereal to start off her important day.

After fifteen minutes of changing dresses, Christa finally decided on the first dress that she had tried on. Once Brooke was finished tying Christa's thick dark hair into curly pigtails, the little girl raced down the stairs where her father was waiting to catch her. Brooke however, took her time as she realized how fast her little girl was growing up.

"Yay! Lucky Charms!" Brooke heard Christa exclaim.

"Husband, how many times do I have to tell you to give our daughter a proper breakfast?" Brooke asked playfully as she entered the kitchen. Lucas handed his wife a cup of hot tea and twisted his mouth into the smirk only reserved for her. Even at eight am, with no make up on, wearing jeans and a C/B tee, both circa 2006, his wife still looked gorgeous.

"It's her first day of school, she deserves some extra sugar," Lucas reasoned, greeting his wife with a kiss. Their kiss was quickly interrupted by a tiny moon marshmallow hitting Lucas on the cheek and an "eww" being exclaimed from Christa.

Wiped out from chasing her daughter to get dressed and creating five different hairstyles for her, Brooke collapsed on a bar stool in the kitchen. She watched as her husband and daughter started having a mini cereal food fight. "Eat all of your cereal Sweet Stuff, you don't want to go to school on an empty stomach," Brooke advised her daughter as she joined in on the fun. Brooke knew her and Lucas should tell their daughter to stop, but they couldn't help it. A mini cereal fight was too cute and much too fun to pass up. Plus, they adored their daughter's giggles.

"All done!" Christa exclaimed ten minutes later. "Come on, let's go!" She shouted as she grabbed her parents' hands and dragged them to the door. Laughing, Lucas and Brooke had no choice but to oblige and they followed their daughter to the door.

"Checklist before we go," Lucas said, causing his favorite girls to stop in their tracks. After Christa showed that she had her lunch, #2 pencils, purple notebook, cheerleader folder, basketball erasers, and 24 pack crayons, Lucas asked one last thing.

"Smile?" Lucas asked. And at that moment, Christa displayed her biggest smile ever, missing tooth and all.

"I believe our school girl is all set," Brooke said, taking out her camera. "Now smile again for Mommy and then we can go catch your bus." After taking quite a few pictures, Lucas finally got Brooke to put the camera down so Christa wouldn't miss her bus.

"How do we catch a bus?" Christa asked as the family arrived at the bus stop hand in hand.

"It's an expression," Brooke explained, but Christa still didn't get it. Shrugging it off, Christa beamed at the sight of some familiar faces.

"Ry-Bry and Chelsea!" Christa squealed as the two kids arrived at the stop with their parents. "Hi Uncle Nate Nate. Hi Auntie Hales-ee."

Laughing, Lucas silently joked to Brooke that it was her fault that their daughter nicknamed practically everyone she knew.

"Hey Christa Lynn! Are you excited for school?" Haley asked as she zipped up Chelsea's hoodie.

"Yup, but Mommy says I need to save my excite-a-ment for cheerleading," Christa answered as she admired Chelsea's lunchbox. The two girls began talking excitedly about school as Ryder went to talk to his ten year old buddies.

"She's only five and you're giving her pom-poms already?" Nathan asked Brooke, keeping one eye on the kids.

"It's never too early," Brooke smiled, "Plus, Lucas gave her a basketball at three, so I think she's entitled to pom-poms at five." Brooke watched their kids and thought about how fast the years had gone by since her, Nathan, and Peyton met on their first day of school. Snapping back to reality, Brooke turned back to her friends slash in-laws.

"Thank you guys for staying to help clean up after the party last week," Brooke said, not aware she was interrupting the small talk Haley and Nathan were having with Lucas.

"Not a problem sister in law," Haley nudged Brooke.

"How are you feeling? You get rid of that bug yet?" Nathan asked, referring to her sudden absence at her daughter's birthday party.

"Yeah I downright squashed it out of my system," Brooke smirked, trying hard not to reveal anything yet. Lucky for her, she was a great liar.

"But, um, we can talk about it later," Lucas interrupted, noticing Brooke's uneasiness. At that moment he noticed a yellow school bus heading their way. "Christa, come give your parents some love before you go," Lucas yelled.

Christa ran excitedly to her parents, jumping into Lucas' arms first. "Bye Daddy," she kissed Lucas and then reached out to her mother "Bye Mommy."

"We love ya, Sweet Stuff," Brooke said as she hugged her daughter and set her back down. "I'll be right here when you come back," she yelled as Christa climbed into the bus. Brooke smiled and waved to her daughter who was waving back excitedly on the other side of the window.

"Well, work calls," Nathan said as they watched the bus drive away with their kids.

"Yeah, we should get going too," Lucas said as he eyed Brooke. He was worried for her; he knew that all she was feeling at that moment was fear and dread.

"Do you think you two love birds could stop by for dinner? There's something Broody and I want to talk to you two about," Brooke said with an uneasy smile. Lucas looked at Brooke with confusion; she grabbed his hand and squeezed it in reassurance, that everything would be ok.

"Yeah sure, just give us a call," Haley said as she hugged her friends good-bye; she wondered what was going on between the two.

xxxxx Later that Night xxxxx

"Are you sure you want to do this babe?" Lucas asked as he brushed Brooke's hair back. Brooke had been leaning over the toilet for a good twenty minutes now, and he was wondering if there was anything left in his wife's stomach. He wished he could take all of this away from her; he wished it was him going through this and not her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just - " Brooke started just as she felt something come up her esophagus again. After a few minutes, she closed her eyes and prayed it was over for today. "I think I just flushed what was remaining of my appetite."

Lucas' cell phone began to ring as he helped Brooke stand up and get herself cleaned up. Disgusted at what she saw in the mirror, Brooke hastily started washing her face and applying fresh make up.

"It's Nathan and Haley; they're driving over now," Lucas turned to see his wife staring at herself, "You sure you're up for this?"

"Yeah, I'll just be down in a minute," she nodded. Brooke couldn't turn away from the mirror. She knew she couldn't leave and look everyone in the eye unless she could look herself in the eye first. She needed her confidence back, and fear had caused her to lose it in the middle of throwing up.

The doorbell started to ring; Lucas sighed in reply and kissed Brooke's forehead. He whispered "I love you" and went downstairs to answer the door and to make sure the rest of the guests hadn't noticed what had happened to Brooke.

"Hey, how's Brooke?" Peyton asked at the bottom of the stairway; she was just about to get the door when she saw a worried Lucas rush down the stairs.

"Ok, for now; she'll be down in a minute," Lucas said, running his fingers through his blonde hair. He looked towards the family room, "Did you- "

"Don't worry, you're pot roast isn't destroyed; I took it out a few minutes ago," Peyton interrupted him, reading his thoughts, "Christa, Aidan, Jenny, and Jake are playing some sort of virtual reality game, so I don't think they noticed anything." The doorbell continued to ring and Lucas could here Christa yell "doorbell" from the family room.

"Ok, thanks Peyton; I'm just gonna get the door." Lucas turned back around and stopped Peyton from returning to the family room. "Can you help Brooke...you know...with all the girly make up stuff?" he managed to say.

"Yeah sure, what are best friends for, right?" Peyton said with a confused smiled and rushed upstairs.

"Hey guys," Lucas greeted Nathan and Haley. Their two kids, Ryder and Chelsea, yelled a "Hi Uncle Luke," and immediately headed to the play area with new VR games in their hands.

"About time Big Brother. How long do you make people wait outside your door before you answer it?" Nathan asked as he hung up his and Haley's jackets.

"Sorry, I was - uh - helping Brooke with something," Lucas muttered as he closed the door. Haley looked questionably at her best friend. She saw confusion, but most of all fear in his eyes. He was trying to hide it, but she could see past any facade he tried to put on. Not wanting to push, Haley followed the Scott brothers to the family room in silence.

The three of them walked into what Haley deemed a virtual reality zoo. Every child had visors on and were screaming and swinging their arms and controllers at empty space. Jake Jagielski looked at his friends and pleaded for some help.

After a few minutes of good old blackmail and bribery, the adults were able to get the kids to relinquish their video game controllers and head to the dinner table.

"I didn't know everyone was going to be here," Haley said, referring to Jake and his two kids, "Is Peyton here too?"

"Right behind ya," Peyton answered as cheerful as she could. Nathan and Haley turned to see Peyton walking in with an obviously fake smile. Lucas' eyes dropped as he realized that Peyton had now heard the news.

Brooke was wearing the same faux smile with her arm linked through Peyton's; she attempted to greet everyone in her old cheerleading voice. Haley looked at Nathan and both knew something was incredibly wrong.

Peyton could feel her eyes swelling. She wanted to cry right then and there, but she knew she couldn't. At least not until Brooke would tell everyone else the news that Peyton had heard a mere ten minutes ago.

----- flash ten minutes ago -----

_"So why did you rush up here so quickly? You looked like you were going to be sick," Peyton asked at the doorway of Brooke and Lucas' bathroom. She found her best friend sitting on the floor next to the toilet, facing the wall._

_"Did Lucas send you up here?" Brooke asked, not bothering to turn around and look up. She was too afraid to look her friend in the eye, afraid that she might end up bawling and then getting sick again._

_"Yeah; he said you needed help with make up or something," Peyton replied, not yet noticing Brooke's puffy eyes and pale face._

_"Of course you can imagine how confused I was since Brooke Davis Scott is usually the one fixing people's make up," Peyton continued, but then noticed the mess of paper towels and tissues in the wastebasket and a couple on the floor. "Were you throwing up?" Peyton asked, "Oh my god! Are you pregnant?"_

_Brooke finished washing her face for the second time and went to sit on the edge of her bed. She patted a spot next to her, indicating for Peyton to join her. "Come, sit," Brooke said as Peyton warily sat down next to her. "You're my best friend P. S. Jagielski, so I guess I should tell you first, before anybody else," Brooke hesitated, unable to get the words out._

_"What? What is it?" Peyton whispered._

_"I had my first chemo treatment today." Brooke replied quietly. She looked up at Peyton, who looked like she had just seen a ghost. Tears started to form in each of their eyes as Brooke got up the courage to further explain. "The doctors confirmed it last week," Brooke sobbed, "It's not a cyst, its breast cancer."_

----- end flash -----

Haley, Nathan, and Jake were stunned and speechless at the news. Lucas was the one to break it to them since Brooke had suddenly felt the coming of another sickness attack right after dinner ended. Peyton, her eyes watering, quickly helped Brooke to the upstairs bathroom. After a few minutes of distressed silence, Nathan finally spoke up.

"Does Christa know?" Nathan asked with a horse whisper. Lucas shook his head no and turned to see his daughter playing happily with her cousins and friends in the play area. He rubbed his hand across his face and sighed; he began explaining to his friends how he didn't want to have to break his daughter's heart.

Haley rushed to her best friend's side and embraced him, trying to console him and tell him that Brooke would make it through the cancer. Nathan and Jake felt helpless as they watched Lucas break down in Haley's arms.

While Haley continued to comfort Lucas, Jake went to tell Jenny the news. Lucas told Jake that Brooke thought it was best for Jenny to find out before the other children, since she was the oldest and she could be there to comfort them...when the time came to tell any of the other kids.

Nathan climbed slowly up the stairs, wincing at the sound of Brooke and Peyton's sobs. When he entered the master bedroom he immediately took his two friends into his arms. And for what seemed like forever, the three friends clung together and cried in the comfort of each other's arms.

The three had been friends since they were six; they declared best friends status at eight. Although Nathan had distanced himself a little when high school started, after ten years, their friendship was still strongly intact when Jake, Lucas, and Haley entered their lives.

But standing here, huddled in a bear hug made for three, it was like they were eight years old again, when Brooke and Nathan were trying to comfort Peyton after she had just lost her mother. Now, twenty years later, they were all trying to comfort each other; and Nathan was scared that by this time next year the three musketeers would dwindle down to two. He whispered "I'm sorry" into Brooke's ear and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

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** A/N:** How was it? Review and tell me what you think -Good? Bad? Sad? hehe, I know it started all happy and then ended a bit sad, i almost had a tear when i re-read what i wrote. Hope some questions were answered for you. Thanks for reading :) 


	4. Chapter 4: Soldier Girl

**A/N:** Thank you again for your reviews! Thanks to: lilohb, BrookeandLucas, Tiffany Rae, FutureMrs.Murray8192, prettygirl33, Literati and naley forever, chelsgg71091, jeytonbrucasnaley, and maddiex0xanne for taking the time to review. I know a bunch of you are already upset that Brooke has cancer...believe me, I am too. But, like the prologue says, "Hold on to faith." I've outlined pretty far down the line for this fic; and I have two different endings drafted out; so we'll see whether my heart or my head wins out.

Also, I suggest you grab a kleenex, or two, or a whole box...this chapter is going to be pretty emotional. I needed to write this part for different reasons, and I'm sure you'll understand why when you're finished reading

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**Pretty Angel**

by: Samantha Jane

Disclaimer: See my profile page 

**Chapter 4: Soldier Girl**

_Your fate is decided for you; you have no choice but to accept the truth of what your life will become. But the path you take to get to your life's unknown destination is your choice. So, do you fight, or do you watch from the sidelines?_

Year: 2017, September-ish; A Few Minutes Later 

_- - - - - Brooke's Thoughts - - - - -  
_

It seemed like forever but at the same time it felt as if only seconds passed by. I couldn't loosen my grasp; I didn't want to. I was afraid, afraid that if I let go of the embrace, I might be whisked away into the wind and taken away from my foundation, my rocks. My ears caught the sound of their sobs; causing my throat to choke and my irises to dispense more water.

I don't have to turn to my right to know that Peyton was trying her best to keep the tears from releasing. Her sniffles bring me back to the many moments in her life where people left her behind. I had left her before as well, but I always came back. We both knew I would always come back to her because we were joined together, for eternity. But now, the present is different. And I can't shake this unnerving feeling that I might break my promise of never leaving her.

Nathan's sobbing was the worst; I heard the subdued curses expelling from behind the cries. My heart wrenched at the sound of his sobs; the sound I hadn't heard since his mother…since his mother had passed. And before that, the only other time his cries tore at my heart was during a night he should have been celebrating, but instead he was ripping himself apart.

The legendary night that Tree Hill won the State Championship…the night he blamed himself for hours on end for the fate of his wife and unborn son. As I remember that night, I pray to God that he's not blaming himself for this, or for anything for that matter. Because it's not his fault; it's life's fault.

And right now my head is screaming "I told you so, Davis, life isn't fair; it never is." And my heart is now starting to accept the assumptions of my mind. If life was fair, it wouldn't have handed me this disgusting plate of fate. If life was fair, I wouldn't be standing in the dark and crying my heart out for the hardships that are sure to follow my best friends. If life was fair, it would give me a damn good reason for why I was chosen to fight this damn cancer.

The three of us lie next to each other on the bed, hands clasped and arms entangled in a web of friendship, utterly exhausted. The crying didn't exhaust us; life did. Life always did. And I can't help but think that the three of us must have done something pretty horrible in a past life to be given the thousands of curve balls we have encountered.

Maybe that's why we declared ourselves the Three Musketeers twenty years ago. Maybe our souls knew the battles we were going to fight in the future, the villains we would encounter, and the unlikely allies we would soon meet up with and accept into our mess of a life. Maybe that's why, at this moment I vow that I will not break up the Three Musketeers of Tree Hill.

But as I lie here next to my best friends, my soul siblings, my original family…I realize that there's another family I need to think of now. And there's no way in hell I want to leave them behind. They're dazzling blue eyes entrance my mind and just thinking about this horrible disease literally and figuratively eats me up inside.

And the thought of leaving my beautiful daughter before she even finishes elementary school creates even more knots in my stomach. Not being able to assist her apply make up for the first time or pick out a prom dress or talk about her first kiss or watch her father walk her down the aisle...missing out on her milestones and her ups and downs throughout life...those thoughts of simply not being there continue to rip apart my already cracked heart.

I know I need to fight. I need to fight for my first family and for the family I created. The family that consists of the wonderful man who compliments and completes me, and the amazing daughter that embodies the best of my man and me; I decided that this would be the epic battle of Brooke Davis - the battle I would win for Nathan, for Peyton, but most importantly, for my Lucas and my Christa Lynn.

_- - - - - Nathan's Thoughts - - - - -_

Through the muffles of my empathetic cries and sobs, I masked my harsh words. I cursed fate; I cursed whatever greater power instilled the evil into my best friend's body. All I wanted to do was blame something or someone for the umpteenth piece of bullshit that entered our lives.

But my heart was torn in two; because there was another part that didn't have the energy to fight. The other part only wanted to embrace his life long friends for as long as he could. Because these amazing women were more than friends, more than the other two thirds of the musketeers; they were my family and therefore my sisters. I would hold them till literally death if I could; and even maybe beyond that…into the "great beyond." Ha, more like the great damn ass beyond.

My mouth was about to spit out "Damn it to hell," when I realized that I didn't want to upset God anymore than I already did. After all, I made so many empty promises to Him; I shouldn't start pissing Him off even more. Maybe that's why this was happening. But would He really sacrifice my friend and cause her suffering just to torture me?

Shaking my head of the horrible thoughts and ideas, I decide this wasn't God's fault. After all, God wouldn't have given the three of us our little family just to take it away in the prime of our lives. No, this was something else; this was something that good couldn't explain. This was the unfairness of life; and it decided to pop its fucking head out at us again.

My body flinched every time the image of her hurting popped into my head, the image of my little Brooke going through the exact motions my mother went through. It was heartbreaking to go through the motions then, and I'm sure it will be as heartbreaking, if not more, in the future. I say a silent prayer for my mother and ask her to ask the heavens above to not let my sister suffer the same fate.

I've lost the the love of my life before. Granted, gratefully not to death. But those months that my wife was away, the fact that she left me behind, tore me apart in a way I never knew I could tear. And if my wife leaving for a few months could rip apart my being, and some say my sanity, for that portion of time...what would happen to my brother? The big brother that crossed impossible hurdles for me, defied rules and authority for me, and protected me. What would happen to the brother that helped me heal during the roughest moments of my life? Would the tables be turned, or will they crash?

And while my body flinched at these thoughts, my heart dropped at the sound of the quietest cries in the room, the silent and never ending sniffles of Peyton Sawyer. As we lay on the bed, I stare across into her eyes, and she allows me to enter into the special part of her soul reserved for the three of us. And around that portion of her soul, I watch the fortress from which she builds her strength upon, start to break, one tiny crumb at a time. And within me, I feel the same foundation beginning to crack.

At this point, I tighten my grasp on her hand, as we reach across the suffering body of our Brookie, our Miss Davis, our Spunky Musketeer. A flash of memory appears and disappears from my mind. Despite the sadness of the situation, I can't help but let out a tiny smirk at the memory that had flashed in my head.

I think back to the day when we took our best friend status to a new level and called ourselves the Three Musketeers. The creative fifth graders that we were, we gave each other titles. Peyton deemed me the Captain Musketeer, Brooke named Peyton our Soulful Musketeer and me; well I got to name Brooke our Spunky Musketeer.

And of course I curse fate again. Because all the memory does for me is remind me that we may never have many more of these moments again. Damn it, Life, do you know how much I fucking hate you right now? Of course you do, that's why you are probably snickering at our suffering right now, right? Damn it, why am I doing this?

I need to believe that this isn't the end; that we weren't meant to sit here, give up, and watch our friend whither away. I need to believe that there's a reason for this umpteenth piece of bullshit. I need to believe that when we come out of this struggle, we'll all be stronger than ever. But most importantly, I need to be strong, not only for Brooke and Peyton, but also for my wife, my children, my niece and most importantly, my brother. So I vow, right here, right now, that I will give my all to help our Spunky Musketeer fight against this unfairness in life.

_- - - - - Peyton's Thoughts - - - - -_

I feel Nathan's heart race through our interlaced fingers and then the beat slows as a smirk creeps onto his face. I see his eyes twinkle and through those windows I watch as his soul goes back to a time in the past to a happier moment. It most likely is one in which the three of us were carefree and acting just as best friends should.

As I watch his face contort in response to the different thoughts running in his head, I wonder if he has been having the same similar thoughts as I had been having the past few minutes. Thoughts of loneliness and melancholy overshadow my thoughts of hope. But something remains greater than any thought of melancholy, and that is my love for him as well as for her.

But I wish love was enough to overcome these obstacles we call life. I've learned from the past that love doesn't always keep people around. Sighing, I watch as Nathan and Brooke rest peacefully, sleep washing over them and whisking them away from the exhaustion of life. They breathe in a rhythmic and slow pace, and I realize how tired both have been from the events of today as well as the past.

I am surprised I am not joining them in this rest, but my eyes will not shut. Maybe it's because my heart is used to the exhaustion; maybe I'm used to the dread, the pessimism, and the struggling that comes with these hurdles. "Or maybe it's because you are stronger than Brooke and I put together," I can hear Nathan's reasoning tell me.

But just like the doctors were wrong, so is Nathan. Because the truth is, I'm only as strong as my family. And every time one family member leaves, so does a part of my heart. "Or maybe I'm wrong." My eyes blink hard at the unexpected whisper that slips from my lips. I feel my fingertips touch my lower lip, trying to grab the confession I just spit out. And I realize maybe it's true. Am I wrong?

I've been wrong about a lot of things, I know that. So why does this surprise me? Maybe because now I realize that maybe I'm not the weak, broody musketeer I thought I always was. I stare at her face, the beautiful face of my Supreme, you know – "soul sister." Boy, are we corny. Her lips rest in a slight smile and I know she is dreaming about her daughter.

My heart aches for the loss Christa and Luke may encounter in the future. Tears gather up in my ducts again as I grow fearful for the loss and questions Christa will encounter in her life. I've been there, more than once, and I would not wish that on any child, especially not a five year old. I would not want any child's heart break and suffer the way mine did all those years ago. No. I won't allow that to happen, because that would mean that the evil part in life would win out.

And that's when I realize that the Soulful Musketeer is going to change, and she's going to fight alongside her spunky sister. I'm going to help Brooke fight every step of the way. Not only for me, but for my husband, my children, for Nathan, for Luke, and especially for the spunk that puts a light in Brooke's eyes, for Christa.

_- - - - - Lucas' POV - - - - -_

I watch my daughter as she watches her mother, uncle, and aunt sleep. "She went upstairs to get her new book," Chelsea had explained to me. Before I reached the top of the stairs, I saw her sitting at the doorframe, her hands empty. I crept up slowly and silently, not wanting to startle her and I follow her gaze into my bedroom. And I see the sad sight that has caused my daughter to release one tear down her cheek.

I know she doesn't know what happened, just that for some reason all the adults are sad. But even though there's no reason explained to her yet, her soul still sympathizes. It was true, mine and Brooke's beloved daughter was born with the best of our souls. I sigh and my wavy haired brunette slowly turns her head from the scene and her sad eyes mirror my own.

"Oh, my pretty angel," I whisper as I kneel to scoop her up in my arms. She doesn't say anything. I can't tell if it's because she doesn't know what to ask, or if she's too afraid to ask. I carry my baby girl into her room and I choose to sit in the rocking chair, with her in my lap. As we rock back and forth, our breaths are all that is heard among the room's silence.

"What happened, daddy?" is all that escapes her mouth. The tone is quiet, and sad curiosity emits from her eyes. I feel her hands grip on tighter to mine and I know she wants to fight whoever made her family upset.

"Don't worry about it right now, baby," is all I can say. It wasn't my place to tell, I reasoned to myself. But in reality, I was too afraid to tell my daughter anything else. How do you tell your child that her family is fighting against a force so strong that it can result in the loss of her own mother? How do you tell your daughter that if this strong force has its way, there's a possibility she will need to fight her life battles without her mother by her side? I still have yet to learn those answers.

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**A/N**: Ok, my eyes are really watery and teary now. Sorry if I made you cry...please review still :) I promise that it's not all going to be sad. Thanks for Reading :) 


	5. Chapter 5: Unstoppable Girl

**A/N:** Hi readers! Sorry for the ten month absence, but school and life got in the way and I nearly forgot about my favorite story until I stumbled upon it while updating my computer. So, I'm starting it back up and writing like crazy. I still have the original outline and everything, so the story is going to continue the way I originally planned it a year ago. This chapter is very different from the last couple, a bit happier. Enjoy!!**  
**

**Pretty Angel**

by: Samantha Jane

Category: One Tree Hill Fan Fiction

Genre: Drama

**Chapter 5: Unstoppable Girl**

_They say that eventually good will conquer evil. Sometimes people wonder how or why the force of good is so unstoppable, especially during times that the battle looks like it cannot be won. Unbeknownst to some, the answer of how and why lies within the depths of one's mind, one's soul, and especially within one's own heart._

"Come on Little Lady, you have practice in an hour!" Brooke yelled from the kitchen as she finished ironing her daughter's cheerleading skirt. It was 9:30 on a Saturday morning and it was the first day in a long time that Brooke didn't feel like crap. If only treatment consisted of eating donuts and cinnamon rolls. She'd rather gain a few more pounds than get a rash or feel sick and nauseous.

Pulling her deep brown hair into a ponytail, Brooke looked at her reflection on the microwave oven. At least she wasn't losing her hair yet, that was her biggest fear. She smirked at the irony. Here she was battling cancer for the past four weeks and her biggest fear was losing her hair. Ok, she needed to scratch that. Losing her hair was her second biggest fear. Leaving her family behind was her first.

But then again, radiation didn't exactly cause hair loss. Brooke's original cancer treatment consisted of chemo to help shrink the tumor so that surgery to remove the tumor would be more successful. The cancer cells had surrounded some nerves in the breast tissue, and the doctors didn't want to take chances of ruining nerve endings in surgery. So chemo and radiation were options to help shrink the tumor away from the nerves.

After the first day of chemotherapy, Brooke asked the doctor about other options because she hated what the chemo was doing to her body as well as her morale. Her oncologist said radiation could help shrink the part of the tumor that surrounded some nerves, but it usually was not as effective as chemo. So far, the radiation was working, and minus the fatigue and the weird rash that would come and go, she was ok. Ok, for someone with cancer.

Brooke heard heavy footsteps come down the stairs as well as her daughter giggling like crazy. Her guess was that little Christa Lynn Scott had woken up her father and made him give her a piggy back ride. Laughing at the site of a groggy Lucas, carrying an enthusiastic Christa as cargo, Brooke kissed her two favorite people good morning.

"Good job, Sweet Stuff, now all I have left to teach you is the perfect way to pick up boys," Brooke said as she knelt down to fasten Christa's cheer skirt over her leggings.

"She's five, she has at least twenty more years before she can even think about flirting with a boy," Lucas replied as he sipped some coffee from his #1 dad mug. Eyeing the pancake batter on the counter he went to retrieve a frying pan and some butter.

"You do realize you're talking about my daughter," Brooke said, playfully smacking a spatula on Lucas' bicep.

"I don't care, she's not dating till she's thirty," Lucas insisted, grabbing the spatula from Brooke and returning her slap with one on her ass.

"So she can get married at forty?" Brooke responded, crossing her arms.

"Exactly," Lucas said right before kissing his wife. Brooke was grateful that despite her sickness and the treatments, her family was still able to continue their little family routines, as insignificant they may seem.

As Christa watched the playful banter, she decided that her parents kissing meant it was her turn to join in on the conversation.

"Forty is old," Christa whined as she twirled around in her cheer skirt a few times. "I wanna get married at ten," she insisted as she plopped down on the floor from being dizzy.

"Oh man, she really is your daughter," Lucas complained as he pulled away from his wife.

"But you love us anyway," Brooke gave Lucas a kiss on the cheek and began to cut some strawberries to add to the pancake batter.

"Can I make breakfast too?" Christa asked eagerly as she climbed onto the bar stool by the counter. Brooke gave Christa some chopped strawberries to sprinkle in the batter when the phone rang.

"Hey Hales what's up," Lucas answered as he started cracking some eggs into a large bowl. He handed Christa a whisk and she gladly accepted, beating the eggs together as fast as her little arms could. Brooke, meanwhile, began flipping some pancakes.

"Well Christa, it looks like your cousins are coming over again, before you and Chelsea go to practice," Lucas said as he hung up the phone.

"Yay!" Christa exclaimed, accidentally spraying egg on Lucas, "Can I make them something?"

"Whatever you want baby girl, I'm sure Mommy will help you," Lucas permitted as he ruffled his daughter's hair. " I'm gonna clean up some and change," Lucas tried to wipe off the egg on his shirt. He hurried upstairs so he could be ready by the time the other Scotts arrived.

"What do you want to make, Little Lady?" Brooke asked her daughter, who was now playing with the flour she spilled on the counter.

"A surprise!" Christa exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. Brooke laughed and started to wipe off the flour that was smeared on her little girl's forehead.

"Well then, it just so happens I'm a whiz at making surprises" Brooke took out some more ingredients and Christa's favorites: food coloring and sprinkles. Brooke started to show her daughter what ingredients to put in and the two started having fun mixing the ingredients together with their hands.

"Mommy," Christa began adding as much sprinkles to the cookie batter as her heart desired.

"Yeah, Sweet Stuff?" Brooke asked as they finished mixing all the ingredients together.

"Do you have to go to the 'ospital today?" Christa willingly took the spoon her mother offered her.

"No; not today. Why?" Brooke started dropping a couple spoonfuls of cookie batter on the empty tray. Christa followed her mother and began placing globs of dough in the middle of the tray.

"Because I want to play after practice and you never play after you go get medicine," Christa explained nonchalantly. Brooke grew silent at the observation her daughter just made, but quickly composed herself.

"Well, don't you worry about that. Because today, I'm going to come to your cheerleading practice and help your Aunt Rachel coach you, Chelsea and the rest of your little cheery buddies," Brooke revealed, playfully twirling Christa's hair.

"Really?!" Christa's eyes grew wide and bright at the idea of cheering with her mom.

"I would never lie to you, Little Lady," Brooke smiled at her daughter's excitement.

"Yay!" Christa yelled as she leapt off her seat just as Lucas walked into the kitchen. Christa jumped into her father's arms while she excitedly rambled about how she was going to spend the day with her mother. Father and daughter didn't notice Brooke staring into space, a memory flashing in her mind, a memory ignited from Christa's previous observation.

-----flashback-----

_"Mommy and Daddy have to tell you something, Little Lady," Brooke and Lucas sat down on the couch while their daughter sat nonchalantly across from them on the coffee table._

_"You remember when you asked me why I've been so sick lately?" Brooke continued, nerves and fear evident in her voice. Christa simply nodded and remained silent. She could sense that what her mom was about to say would not be good news._

_"Well, Mommy's sick because..." Brooke trailed off; she didn't have the courage to tell her daughter that she was possibly dying. Lucas squeezed his wife's hand and took over for her._

_"Because Mommy is fighting something called cancer," Lucas explained. "Do you remember when we explained cancer to you?" he asked his daughter. _

_Christa nodded and remembered the conversation they had about her Grandma Deb and when she had cancer and the possibility of someone dying. Putting two and two together, Christa started to get frantic._

_"Is it bad cancer?" Christa asked quietly. Brooke and Lucas exchanged glances then looked back at their daughter. "You gonna leave like grandma? You can't leave, Mommy," Christa cried as she jumped into her mother's lap. Brooke immediately took her child in her arms and rocked her gently._

_"I need you to listen to me now, and listen good," Brooke took her daughter's face in her hand so that they were seeing eye to eye. "I am going to fight with all my power against this cancer because I refuse to leave you or your father. I love you guys too much to leave you now."_

_Brooke cried, hugging her daughter tightly. Lucas intertwined his fingers into Brooke's with one_ _hand and stroked his daughter's hair with the other. Brooke looked over her daughter's shoulder and locked eyes with her husband; both wondered what the future would hold for their little family._

-----end flashback-----

"Earth to Brooke," Lucas repeated waving one hand in front of his wife's face, while the other arm still held his daughter.

"Earth to Mommy," Christa mimicked her father. Brooke shook her head and snapped back to reality.

Letting out a nervous smile, Brooke lied through her teeth, "Sorry family, I was just thinking about some new routines for the little cheeries." Brooke went back to the cookies and motioned for her daughter to follow. The doorbell rang and Lucas went to answer; of course he went right after he tasted a bit of the cookie dough first.

"Aunt Brookie, is it true? Are you coming to practice today?" Chelsea Scott ran into the kitchen. The mini cheerleader was dressed in her favorite cheer practice outfit, purposely identical to Christa's. Her dark auburn hair was done up perfectly in two ponytails that were adorned with blue and white ribbons. Brooke couldn't help but smile at the sight of her daughter and niece looking like wannabe twins.

"That's right, Miss Scott, and you better be ready for some good old Cheery fun," Brooke told her niece as she placed the first batch of cookies into the oven.

"Cool!" Chelsea exclaimed as her mother walked in carrying her daughter's pom-poms and sneakers.

"Chelsea, come here and change into your cheer shoes," Haley James Scott helped her daughter remove the ballet slippers and slip on her new cheer shoes.

"Hey Tutor Girl, where are the boys?" Brooke asked, noticing that her husband as well as Nathan and Ryder were not in the kitchen yet.

"You're husband challenged Ryder and Nathan to a game before Ryder's music lessons," Haley explained as she watched Brooke run around the kitchen. She was amazed that the woman was cooking pancakes, eggs, bacon, and cookies all at once.

"Great, so us girlies can finish cooking breakfast," Brooke sarcastically whined.

"Mommy, I want to play basketball too," Christa requested as she and Chelsea started eating the raw cookie dough that was left behind in the bowl.

"Don't you want to finish your surprise?" Brooke asked her daughter as she took away the bowl from the two girls and wiped their fingers.

"No, I want to play basketball," Christa said matter of factly. Haley laughed something about Christa being her father's daughter and convinced Brooke to let her play.

"Ok, Sweet Stuff, go ahead, I'll just get Aunt Haley and Miss Scott to help finish with breakfast," Brooke smirked at her friend and handed her a spatula to scramble the eggs. "And don't forget your coat!"

"Daddy, Daddy, I want to play!" Christa screamed as she ran outside to the mini basketball court on the side of their house.

"Ok, angel; now we can have a fair game, 2 on 2," Lucas said as he set Christa up on his shoulders.

"We're gonna cream you," ten your old Ryder declared as he passed the ball to his father.

"I don't think so, drummer boy," Christa yelled from the top of her father's shoulders.

"Uh oh, Ryder, it sounds like Chrissy Lynn is challenging us," Nathan smiled as he ran past Lucas.

"Bring it on Chris!" Ryan exclaimed as Nathan passed the ball to him.

"It's Christa!" Christa Lynn proclaimed as Ryder made a perfect shot.

"2-0 big brother," Nathan bragged as he shared a high five with his son.

"You can have your fun, now," Lucas replied back, "but I got a secret weapon sitting right on top of my shoulders." The four continued to play their traditional 2 on 2 game of Saturday morning basketball.

"Scott's gorgeous residence," Brooke answered the phone. Hearing a familiar voice, her own voice dropped down in perkiness as she exited the kitchen. "Oh, hi Doctor, what's up?"

"I got your latest results back Mrs. Scott. And your prognosis looks good. The tumor is shrinking and we may be able to perform the surgery ahead of schedule," her doctor informed.

"Really?" Brooke smiled to herself in disbelief as her doctor began to rattle off medical terminology and statistics related to her results. Brooke started growing anxious, in a good way. If the doctor was right, then maybe she could spend Christmas at home instead of in a surgery room.

As Brooke peered out the window to see her family playing their favorite sport, the doctor added one more comment, "And Mrs. Scott, this is more than medicine. Whatever is causing you to fight so hard, keep it up." Brooke knew exactly what it was.

"Scott goes for the shot, but it looks like she's double teamed. No wait, she turns and transitions into a fade away. She shoots; she scores! It's official folks, Christa Lynn Scott is unstoppable!" Lucas proclaimed as his daughter made the winning shot.


End file.
